Envelope for initial and return mailing



April 9, 1963 F. G. CLEGG 3,084,846

ENVELOPE FOR INITIAL AND RETURN MAILING Filed Aug. 4, 1961 INVENTOR.FRANK G. CLEGG 3,084,846 ENVELOPE FOR INITIAL AND RETURN MAILING FrankG. Clegg, Manchester, Conm, assignor to Curtis 1000', Incorporated, WestHartford, Conn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Aug. 4, 1961, Ser. No.129,282 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-73) This invention relates generally tomailing envelopes and more particularly to an envelope assemblyorganized so that it may be used for initial and return mailing with theassembly carrying a message for the initial addressee or a form to befilled out and returned by the initial addressee.

In these envelope assemblies with which the present invention isconcerned, such as that disclosed in US. Patent 2,317,335 granted April20, 1943, to H. M. Whitman, the assembly is constructed so that a panelextends over the front face of a return addressed mailing enyelope whenthe assembly is folded properly for initial mailing. This panel is tornfrom the assembly along a perforate tear line for the return mailing. Ithas been the practice to place the address of the initial addressee onthe outer surface of this panel with the inner surface containing thedesired message to the addressee.

With such an arrangement it sometimes happens that there is noidentification of the initial addressee either on the return envelope oron the contents of the return envelope. This will be the case if theinitial addressee does not enclose the panel in the return envelopeafter tearing it along the perforate tear line and does not place 'hisaddress on the return envelope or on the subject matter placed withinthe return envelope. This often makes it difficult, if not impossiblefor the original sender to identify the initial addressee.

The present invention overcomes this difiiculty by placing the addressused in the initial mailing on a portion of the return envelope. Inaccordance with the invention the panel which extends over the face ofthe return envelope for the initial mailing is provided with a window sodisposed that the window overlies the inner surface of the flap of thereturn envelope when the envelope assembly is properly folded for theinitial mailing. The address of the initial addressee previously hasbeen placed on the inner surface of this flap of the return envelopewithin the confines of this window. Accordingly, the address of theinitial addressee is not placed on the panel which is removed by theinitial addressee and identification of the initial addressee by thereturn addressee is assured.

It therefore is an object of this invention to provide an improvedenvelope organization that is adapted to be used for an initial andreturn mailing.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved envelopeassembly wherein the identification of the initial addressee by thereturn addressee is positively assured and is not dependent upon theinitial addressee enclosing specific subject matter within the envelopeor writing his address on the envelope.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention may consist inthe features of construction and operation set forth in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of thisspecification, I have shown the invention embodied in a mailing envelopeof conventional size and shape, but it will be understood that theinvention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to beconstrued as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claimappended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

3,084,846 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the envelope of thepresent invention is made;

FIG. 2 is a view of this blank after the gummed end flaps have beenfolded inwardly and the side or outer panels have been folded inwardslightly;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a completed envelope ready for sealing for itsfirst mailing; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the envelope in its sealed, readyfor first mailing, condition.

In the above mentioned drawing there has been shown but one embodimentof the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it is to beunderstood that changes and modifications may be made within the scopeof the appended claim without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are usedthroughout to designate like elements, as ill-ustratively disclosed inFIGURES 1 and 2, the envelope is made from a single sheet or blank ofpaper or other flexible material. This blank is comprised of a centralpanel 10 from which extend outer or side panels 12 and 14. The panel 12joins panel 10 along a fold line identified as 16 and which correspondswith the longitudinal edge of panel 10 with the panel 12 being providedat its outer end with flap 18 which forms a part of the panel and joinsthe panel along the fold line 20. The width of the portion of panel 12between fold line 20 and fold line 16 corresponds generally with thewidth of the central panel 10. The panel 14 is somewhat similar to panel12 connecting the central panel 10 along the fold line 22, whichcorresponds with the longitudinal edge of the central panel 10, and hasextending from its outer end the gummed flap 24 which forms a portion ofpanel 14 and is connected with the panel along the fold line 26 with theportion of panel 14 intermediate fold lines 22 and 26 also correspondinggenerally to the width of the central panel 10. The panel 14 is providedwith a window 28 in the region disclosed so that it will overlie theinner surface of flap 18 when the envelope assembly is folded for theinitial mailing as explained hereinafter.

Each of the flaps 18 and 24 is provided adjacent its outer edge withgummed portions 30 and 32, respectively, as disclosed. The central panel10 is provided at its ends with relatively short flaps 34 which aregummed and are for the purpose of enclosing the ends of the returnenvelope.

In preparing the envelope assembly for initial mailing the end flaps 34are folded inwardly, as shown in FIG- URE 2, and the outer or side panel12 is folded along line 16 in overlying relation with the central panel10 and engaging the gummed faces of flaps 34 which are suitablymoistened so that this panel is sealed to these flaps. The flap 18 isbent backward so that it overlies the outer surface of this panel 12with flap 18, panel 12 and panel 10 collectively forming the returnenvelope, and with panel 12 forming the front face of this returnenvelope and panel 10 forming the back or rear face of the returnenvelope.

FIGURE 3 discloses the envelope assembly in the above referred tocondition with the panel 18 folded back against the outer surface ofpanel 12 and with panel 14 extending from the fold line 22 orlongitudinal edge of panel 10. The message or form for the initialaddressee, which mess-age or form is identified as 36, is printed uponthe surface of panel 14 as identified in FIGURE 3. The address of theinitial addressee, identified as 40', is printed on the inner surface offlap 18 and in the area of this flap that will lie Within the confinesof window 28 when panel 14 is folded along fold line 22 over flap 18 andthe remaining portion of the panel 12. When the envelope assembly iscompletely ready for initial mailing the panel 14 is folded as justmentioned so that window 28 overlies the inner surface of flap 18 andthe flap 24- is folded along the fold line 26 and is sealed to the rearface of the return envelope, or in other words to the outer surface ofpanel 10, with the address 46 being visible through window 28.

The central panel 16 is provided with a perforate tear line 42 which islocated somewhat inwardly of the fold line 22. The return addresseeremoves panel 14 from i the assembly by tearing along this line 42. Thisleaves the remaining portion of panel 10 somewhat narrower than panel 12thereby insuring that the flap 18 will easily fold over the panel 1% forthe return mailing. It will be noted that each of the end flaps 34terminates at the tear line 42 for the same purpose, i.e., to insureeasy holding of the flap 18 for the return mailing.

It will be seen that with the improved organization of the presentinvention, the address of the initial addressee is printed on the innersurface of the return envelope flap 18 and within the confines of thegum area 30 and the fold line 20 of this flap thereby positivelyassuring that the return addressee is able to identify the initialaddressee without depending upon any action by the initialaddressee,.and with this single address having the dual function ofidentifying the addressee for the initial mailing and identifying theindividual who remails the envelope.

I claim as my invention:

An envelope assembly organized for initial and return mailing comprisingan envelope having a gurnrned flap extending from the longitudinal edgeof the front panel, and a panel extending from the longitudinal edge ofthe back panel and being removable from the back panel, said extendingpanel carrying a message on its inner side and being adapted to foldover the face of said envelope when the assembly is folded for initialmailing and having a gunnned flap to retain said extending panel inplace with the first mentioned flap being folded back over the frontpanel when the assembly is folded for initial mailing, said extendingpanel having a window overlying the inner surface of said firstmentioned flap when folded as aforesaid thereby defining an address areaon said inner surface of said first mentioned flap Within the confinesof said window for placement of the address of the initial addressee,whereby this address serves for the initial mailing and provides thereturn addressee with -a positive indication of the identity of theinitial addressee.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,147,925 Chambers July 27, 1915 1,645,148 McCain Oct. 11, 19272,317,335 Whitman Apr. 20, 1943

